Highland Park Report

Its hard to resist the small town feel and celebratory vibe of July 4th. In Highland Park, IL the day is always jam packed with activites for any and all. Here’s what’s happening and when.

Kids Bike & Pet Parade  — starts @ 9:45am on Central Ave– Downtown Highland Park, Tues. July 4th–

This is cute and completely amusing for the kids. Its short, its sweet — a bit corny but who cares.

The Parade — starts @ 10 am

Get there kind of early and grab your Starbucks because the lines get waaay long. My favorite part is snagging up the candy and freebies they throw out so bring something to store up your swag!

4th Fest In Sunset Park 11-2pm

Head directly to Sunset Park after the big Parade for more hoopla. Rides, petting zoo, games, carnival entertainment, music and plenty of food.

The Big Show @ Wolters Field Starting @ 6:30pm

This should be good. This year its the battle of the bands concert sponsored by Late Nite HP. Make sure to bring a blanket, some snacks and your oooohs and ahhhhs. The fireworks are truly amazing and after all this is where some of our tax dollars go!

Technorati Tags: highland park, il, july fourth, sunset park, parade

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What do the Highland Park Theatre and the lobby of my brother’s old apartment building have in common?  You guessed it: both are eerily reminiscent of the Overlook Hotel from the movie version of Stephen King’s The Shining.  Nevertheless—at least in my many Highland Park film-going experiences there—a tidal wave of blood never comes menacingly rushing down the hallways.

As a matter of fact, I’ve seen quite a few good movies there.  For a number of years, the Highland Park Theatre was the only place to go to the movies in Highland Park, IL.  Until the introduction of the cinemas at Renaissance Place, the Highland Park Theatre offered second-run movies at surprisingly low prices.  Of course, in order to compete with the larger, newer Renaissance Place, the Highland Park Theatre has had to drive up prices in recent years.  The new ticket prices, however, remain lower than other cinemas.

Nor is the moviegoing experience what it used to be.  The Highland Park Theatre no longer offers only second-run movies, as is the common mode of thought.  In fact, its four cinemas offer a nicely mixed selection of independent, artsy, and popular movies to serve the wide demographic of Highland Park moviegoers.

All in all, it is a pleasant experience, once you get past the feeling that the ghosts of twin little girls will constantly show up in your path.  With the support of my readers, I may even review a number of films shown at the Theatre, which is, in my opinion, the original cinema in Highland Park, IL.

By Andrew Schneider

Technorati Tags: Highland Park IL, Highland Park, Highland Park entertainment, Highland Park movies

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If you’re looking to golf in Highland Park, IL, you have a few decent options.  If you’re looking for really good golf… then I’m the wrong person to consult.  While I certainly enjoy the finer nuances of the game—I love the satisfaction of hitting a good shot and the (much frequenter) deep, nagging frustration of missing one as much as the next guy—I’m just not very good at it.  To put it bluntly, calling me a hack would be a tremendous compliment to my play.

My short game isn’t so terrible, though.  I can chip the ball straight with fair consistency, but where I really excel is on the putting green.

As a result, I’ve taken a considerable liking to golf’s younger sibling: miniature golf.

Whether you refer to it as such, or as one of the other numerous monikers (mini-golf, skill golf, putt-putt, or otherwise), I truly believe it to be a game (or sport, if you like) that everyone can appreciate.  Some of my fondest memories of my great-grandfather involve us mini-golfing in one location or another, and I still enjoy playing to this day.

Of course, there are two prerequisites for the golf specifically in question in this submission—it must not only be of the miniature variety, but also must be located in Highland Park, IL.  And if you’re in Highland Park, and looking to stay in Highland Park, there is only one place for mini-golf.  That place is the Highland Park Golf Learning Center & Adventure Golf, situated just north of the intersection of Park Avenue and Highway 41, in Highland Park (of course).

As I mentioned, I really love a good mini-golf match.  In fact—and feel free to laugh here—I play in weekly and annual tournaments in the West Suburbs.  In order to train for these, I play also at Highland Park Golf Learning Center & Adventure Golf (there’s another nickname by which the sport goes).  The place offers lessons, a driving range, and, of course, miniature golf.

The “Adventure Golf” there isn’t necessarily the most adventurous, but it certainly is more challenging than some other places.  It’s a great time if you’re looking for something to do with your kids, on a date, with your friends of any age, or even just to kill time.

And if you, like me, need a great deal of work in your golf game, there’s always the driving range.  Plus, afterward, you can stay and make yourself feel better with a game of miniature golf.  And it’s right here in Highland Park.

By Andrew Schneider

Technorati Tags: Highland Park IL, Highland Park, Entertainment in Highland Park IL

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